RPD Personality Profile: We are a bunch of know-it-all smartasses

[goodsamaritan]

In

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090503213750AAGWdbX

Don't you just hate know-it-all smartasses?

I may be letting my anger out here, but I just can't stand some people who think they know everything and how they think they are "better" than you. Sure I can understand if a person is modest or humble, but always saying you know more than others is VERY annoying. Some people I meet just piss me off when I get pulled an arguement from a little disagreement, and yelling obviously makes it worse.

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I just realized most of us in the raw paleo forum are know-it-all smartasses.

It is probably a personality trait / fault depending on who's point of view.

I think it is this personality that we have in common that led us to this RPD path.

Most people are sheep and would like to go with the flow and not offend anyone even if it means sacrificing their own health for it.

Of course we turn out to be a lively and debateful bunch and it shows in our discussions.  

On one hand, some newbies are shy of posting because of our personalities.  On the other hand the fellow smart asses feel welcome to join in.  

The query is how can we attract participation from more people, especially those who are not of the smart ass personality?

[RawZi]

    I'm not sure we're all the smart asses.  I think other groups have smart asses too.  We may have the smartest asses of all, or just are the smartest and have the best asses.  We do have a surety.  Others seem so insecure when they talk.

    They'll come when they're ready.  Maybe when they realize the health benefit and how much more natural and healthy it is for the earth. 

[kurite]

I somewhat agree, but i almost feel like its because were on raw paleo diets. Im not going to say that i dont feel superior to SAD eaters, because i do.

[William]

Here's a sig line I read somewher:
"people who think they know everything really annoy those who do know everything"   

Most of us have passed through some very intense learning experiences on our way here, and have learned something of value, which we try to pass on. Learning does not stop, so some humility is necessary.


Then there are the dinosaurs, who are finished with learning.

[goodsamaritan]

I think beyond all the arguing and debating we all stick with going to this forum because there are similar smart asses who are a wealth of resourceful insights that are different from ours and are true from their perspective.

The good thing about smart asses in this forum is they are willing to share what they know.

I have a cousin who hates my guts for being a "know it all" and told me about it this morning.  But this was balanced when someone wrote me thanking me that my Dengue Cure blog and website information allowed her to help and save her friend's life within 24 hours.  We can't please everybody.

I'm getting sentimental... I want to give everyone here a group hug.

[RawZi]

I have a cousin who hates my guts for being a "know it all" and told me about it this morning.  But this was balanced when someone wrote me thanking me that my Dengue Cure blog and website information allowed her to help and save her friend's life within 24 hours.  We can't please everybody.

I'm getting sentimental... I want to give everyone here a group hug.

   heh hugs to you too.

    I treated a naturopathic doctor with dengue.  They relied so heavily on cooked eggs and rancid castor oil too.  I don't understand how we (I mean humans) get so far from nature.

[alphagruis]

Most of us have passed through some very intense learning experiences on our way here, and have learned something of value, which we try to pass on. Learning does not stop, so some humility is necessary.

This is (IMO too) the central point here. We are all deeply convinced that we have learned something of great value. Because learning by experience (here in our own organism and guts) and acknowledging that something that most humans just ignore or don't believe to be true is in fact true and works astonishingly well is a unique feeling.

I can tell you that scientists get this very same unique feeling when they discover something really new (usually only 2 or 3 times in a lifetime). A kind of cerebral orgasm in fact

Then altruism drives us to share this with and convince other homo sapiens. Yet this is by nature a new very difficult and uncertain struggle because others haven't gone through the same experience and we are designed in such a way that can hardly be convinced just by words or theoretical reasoning.



 

[jessica]

i would assume the know it all, and all out use any means to convince, tendency stems from a philanthropic urge to help people attain the same sort of health/healing we have achieved ourselves or read/seen accounts of in others following a raw paleo style diet. its the want for the majority to wise up; those who follow the "majorities'' diet and a more current lifestyle pattern are making our ability to live healthfully and in a style more similar to what is proper for the health of our species rather difficult
someone innocently posts here asking a question and then an ambush of studies, options, anecdotes, diagnoses, suggestions that is like an overwhelming deluge!!!!!!!which is then met with "bickering" and tapering off into the oblivion of all of our endless curiosities and defense of each individuals stance.....i think that its inevitable that all of this will happen but ive always found it true that you will win people over more often with honey(raw, in comb, with grubs and propilis!) then salt(full mineral spectrum, solar dried, from an ancient cave and dated 032482039480239840329840982309483 years ago, found in the fossilized remnants of paleomans bladder) so perhaps a different approach is necessary?  i would love to think that the approach is the necessary missing link to helping people adopt a different lifestyle, but i also think that people who are curious enough and go as far as to post here and really question will not go back to the dark side...it just may be a matter of time until they fully give into the light!

[lex_rooker]

It seems to be human nature that when we think we’ve discovered some special insight we tend to become rather evangelistic about it – especially when we are young.  I know that I personally spent years trying to convince people that each of my dietary changes was the Holy Grail, and that they should follow my lead.  What was most interesting was that when my ‘diet of the day’ failed I just moved on to the next ‘greatest thing’ and started preaching that. 

Much has been said about learning a lot.  Well, each time I changed my diet I was convinced that I had now learned the great secret to eternal health and happiness and was driven to share my new found wisdom.  Unfortunately, much of what I learned turned out to be so much nonsense.  The truth is, when you are young you can eat just about anything and do very well, thank you.  It is when you get on in years and things start to fall apart that the folly of your youthful indiscretions becomes evident.

Age has rather tempered my enthusiasm for sharing the latest thing learned as I’ve found over the years that I have little true understanding of most things.  I also find less need to try to convince people that I’ve found the true path as I’m now not so sure that what I’m doing is good or bad – it’s just what I’ve chosen to do for now.  I’m glad to share my experiences, but am no longer convinced that I’m right.

As I look back, I think my zealous efforts to convince others that I was on the true path to dietary enlightenment was really more about convincing (maybe deceiving is a better word) myself that I was right.   Today I’m quite comfortable with the choices I’ve made, and have less need to evangelize to support my ego.

Lex 

[alphagruis]

It seems to be human nature that when we think we’ve discovered some special insight we tend to become rather evangelistic about it – especially when we are young.  I know that I personally spent years trying to convince people that each of my dietary changes was the Holy Grail, and that they should follow my lead.  What was most interesting was that when my ‘diet of the day’ failed I just moved on to the next ‘greatest thing’ and started preaching that.  

Much has been said about learning a lot.  Well, each time I changed my diet I was convinced that I had now learned the great secret to eternal health and happiness and was driven to share my new found wisdom.  Unfortunately, much of what I learned turned out to be so much nonsense.  The truth is, when you are young you can eat just about anything and do very well, thank you.  It is when you get on in years and things start to fall apart that the folly of your youthful indiscretions becomes evident.

Age has rather tempered my enthusiasm for sharing the latest thing learned as I’ve found over the years that I have little true understanding of most things.  I also find less need to try to convince people that I’ve found the true path as I’m now not so sure that what I’m doing is good or bad – it’s just what I’ve chosen to do for now.  I’m glad to share my experiences, but am no longer convinced that I’m right.

As I look back, I think my zealous efforts to convince others that I was on the true path to dietary enlightenment was really more about convincing (maybe deceiving is a better word) myself that I was right.   Today I’m quite comfortable with the choices I’ve made, and have less need to evangelize to support my ego.

Lex  

I agree heartidly.

I also don't know for sure if what I'm doing re diet is best for me. We must accept this somewhat uncomfortable situation rather than try to get more comfortable by trying to convince everybody we can (and first of all ourselves) that what we are doing is best for us or ultimate truth.

I'm deeply convinced that open minded confrontation of all our respective experiences is the best way to progress. Just the way  good science works actually.

[Paleo Donk]

Part of me would love to convincingly lay some smack down to those who keep abusing their power telling the world of the evils of animal foods. Unfortunately there are no really good tightly controlled clinical trials that have ever been done to show how much better raw paleo would likely be. If I were a billionaire I could set up huge experiments where I would actually bet that my diet would beat the hell out of any standard low-fat diet. I would lay enormous odds that my diet (raw low-carb) would yield better results. I would set up very long studies in metabolic chambers, almost like a prison, for multiple years that would be more tightly controlled than ever before. How easy victory would be. Perhaps this would finally get the message across.

Whenever I explain my diet to others I always focus on things that we generally all agree with. I don't think there is a reason to show anyone convincingly that my way is correct but I think it can be important to lead people in the right direction which is the biggest step of all. Elimination of processed carbs (and gluten more or less) is something everyone can get behind. If I can get this message across to those that are curious then I've done my job.

[goodsamaritan]

I can understand Lex's experience on dampening the enthusiasm.

But I can also relate to Aajonus Vonderplanitz' experience with healing people... healing other people other than myself.  It does wonders for family members.

Consistently a raw paleo diet in any of its variants is a valuable healing tool, it delivers.  I think my enthusiasm is still up there because I have children to raise.

[alphagruis]

I can understand Lex's experience on dampening the enthusiasm.

But I can also relate to Aajonus Vonderplanitz' experience with healing people... healing other people other than myself.  It does wonders for family members.

Consistently a raw paleo diet in any of its variants is a valuable healing tool, it delivers.  I think my enthusiasm is still up there because I have children to raise.

Yes, I think we can safely convey the general raw paleo concept leaving as an open question details about the quantity and nature of food of plant origin to include in the diet.

In other words we do certainly a good job when our message is: eliminate cooked grain based foods, in particular wheat, all processed foods in general, pasteurized and possibly also raw dairy. Eat raw animal and plant foods, wild or organic, grassfed.